Think: Digital Futures

Think: Digital Futures

By 2SER 107.3Technology
Download on the App Store

Think: Digital Futures episodes

  • Why Don’t We Want to Eat Future Foods?
    Thanks to overpopulation and man made climate change, global food stocks are running low. Enter the “future foods” - the gross, weird and wonderful things clickbait articles tell us will be on our dinner plate in ten years time. But there’s more to this debate than just eating worms. 
    We talk to the colonial gastronomer Jacqui Newling (Sydney Living Museums) about how we didn’t use to be so squeamish. Then we meet researchers Janice McCauley (University of Technology Sydney) and insect farmer Olympia Yarger (GoTerra) about how hard it is to change our tastes. Finally, we speak to Judy Friedlander (University of Technology Sydney) about the mess we’re in. 
    The Algae products we tried were made by Venus Shell Systems based in Nowra, NSW.
    24 min
  • Why Don’t We Want to Eat Future Foods?
    Thanks to overpopulation and man made climate change, global food stocks are running low. Enter the “future foods” - the gross, weird and wonderful things clickbait articles tell us will be on our dinner plate in ten years time. But there’s more to this debate than just eating worms. We talk to the colonial gastronomer Jacqui Newling (Sydney Living Museums) about how we didn’t use to be so squeamish. Then we meet researchers Janice McCauley (University of Technology Sydney) and insect farmer Olympia Yarger (GoTerra) about how hard it is to change our tastes. Finally, we speak to Judy Friedlander (University of Technology Sydney) about the mess we’re in. The Algae products we tried were made by Venus Shell Systems based in Nowra, NSW.
    22 min
  • EXTRA: What really happened to Scott Kelly's DNA in space?

    You might have seen the headlines proclaiming astronaut Scott Kelly has returned from a year on the International Space Station with a whopping 7% change in his DNA. That was when compared to his identical twin, Mark Kelly, back on earth.

    Space travel affects our bodies in ways we still don’t quite understand, but there’s more to this headline than meets the eye.


    We go behind the news with Digital Futures regular Joshua Chou, Director of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney.


    To find out more about the terrifying things that happen to your body in space, check out our episode on space health.

    10 min
  • Can You Build a Society on the Blockchain?

    When you think about Puerto Rico—decimated by Hurricane Maria, a debt crisis and the longest power blackout in US history—most people see destruction. To a small group of cryptocurrency millionaires, it’s a chance to build a new type of society from scratch. A society built on blockchain technologies.

    We chat to Dr Pip Ryan (University of Technology Sydney) and Nathan Waters (founder of Peerism) about what a blockchain based society might look like. Then we speak to journalist Antony Loewenstein about whether this is just a case of disaster capitalism in disguise.

    26 min
  • Simulating the Universe

    The first episode of 2018 tackles the biggest question of our time: does anyone actually care whether or not we’re living in a computer simulation?

    As our understanding of the universe expands, the question of whether we’re living in a computer simulation has shifted from the domain of philosophers into a problem for astrophysics. Because at their astonishingly fast rate of discovery, astrophysicists will be the first ones to know.

    We chat to astrophysicists Martin Bell (University of Technology Sydney) and Geraint Lewis (Sydney University) about just how close we are to simulating the world.

    You can find more information about the Millennium Simulation here.

    22 min
  • How An Algorithm Learns To Be Racist
    A recent report revealed the NSW Police Force are using an algorithm based on the idea of "predictive policing". It's aim is to trawl through police records spotting potential re-offending criminals before they've committed a crime.  It's called the Suspect Target Management Plan and it's designed to reduce violence in the community. So why is it targeting Aboriginal children?
    Producer/Presenter: Cheyne Anderson
    Speakers:
    Lotte, Social Worker
    Jo Travaglia, Professor of Health Services and Management in the Faculty of Health at the University of Technology Sydney
    Sophie Parker, Redfern Legal Centre
    Vicki Sentas, Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of New South Wales, co-author of Policing Young People in NSW 
    Megan Williams, Graduate School of Health at the University of Technology Sydney
    Special Thanks to Karrah Ceissman
    For the full statement from the NSW Police Force head to 2ser.com/think-digital-futures
    22 min
  • Why Is The Internet So Slow In Australia?
    Australia's internet speeds are notoriously poor. This is backed up by a recent report ranking us 51st in the world when it comes to connection speeds. But what does a ranking like this actually mean and can the much-maligned National Broadband Network lift us back up?
    Producer/Presenter: Cheyne Anderson
    Speakers:
    Robin Braun, Professor of Telecommunications Engineering at the University of Technology Sydney
    Alice & Jason
    22 min
  • How Much Can Machines Tell Us About The Brain?
    When it comes to what we don't know about the human brain...well, there's a lot we don't know. So when it comes to melding our brains with computers, there's a lot of sticky questions we need to answer. Brain Machine Interfaces (BCI's) have the potential to change the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. So should they be used for commercial, recreational or medical purposes?
    Producers/Presenters: Cheyne Anderson, Ellen Leabeater, Miles Herbert
    Speakers:
    CT Lin, Professor in the School of Software at the University of Technology Sydney
    Tim Chen, Lecturer in the School of Software at the University of Technology Sydney
    Julie Layfelt
    Eran Klein, Neurologist and Philosopher at BCI Centre
    Fred Gilbert, ARC Decra Fellow at the University of Tasmania
    27 min
  • Why We Need A Sociology Of Big Data
    Knowledge is power. So when we tick 'yes' on the terms and conditions and volunteer information about the minuscule details of our online lives, what are we actually giving corporations the power to do?
    The invisible processes of big data collection are starting to seep out into our offline lives. It's changing everything from healthcare to criminal justice. This episode features a conversation with two researchers calling for a sociology of data. We need to take a closer look at the social consequences of big data collection, and question why it's often shrouded in secrecy.
    Producer/Presenter: Cheyne Anderson
    Speakers:
    Jo Travaglia, University of Technology Sydney
    Hamish Robertson, University of New South Wales
    22 min
  • Can Virtual Environments Help Us Save The Real One?
    Virtual reality immerses us in artificial experiences of the real world. It has the power to give equal access to the hidden corners of the natural world, and allow us to see nature from a new perspective. Research also shows VR can create empathy with the environment you're experiencing. But how far does this empathy go?
    This is the second half of our exploration of the relationship between technology and the environment.
    Producer/Presenter: Cheyne Anderson
    Speakers: Ryan Watson, Head of Community Engagement at New Horizons
    Catherine Maree Smith, Ambassador for Parallel Parks
    Glenn Albrecht, Retired Lecturer in Sustainability at Murdoch University
    Jeremy Walker, Lecturer in Environment, Culture and Society at the University of Technology Sydney
    Parallel Parks are raising money to expand the VR to make Australia's national parks accessible to everyone. Follow this link to donate:
    http://go.newhorizons.org.au/2SER
    23 min

About Think: Digital Futures

From the publisher's feed

Each episode explores how today’s technology is transforming tomorrow — from our biology, habits, relationships, spaces to our place in the universe.